Last week I introduced a new recipe that had wasabi. At that same dinner party I made the entrée with this luscious green hot spice as well: grilled salmon with wasabi and fireweed honey. The combination of sweet, salty and spicy into one savory dish was like a party in your mouth.

I like to use local ingredients as much as possible, which is why I cook a lot of fish. I also enjoy Alaskan flavored salts, (alder wood smoked is my favorite) and the honeys. In Juneau we have occasional food and craft fairs at which one can get the best homemade goodies. I chose the fireweed honey for two reasons: 1) I really like the taste of it and 2) it was a gift from my friend, Chloey.

Many glazes for salmon begin with two basic ingredients: brown sugar and butter. I wanted to do something different for this special dinner. Honey is a great substitute for a glaze. It already has the consistency of a glaze and with a few additional items for flavor; a super sauce can be created.

When I learned that my guests were from Sitka, I knew they were very familiar with salmon, which meant I needed to be on my game. Nothing is more awkward than serving bad salmon or halibut to someone whose staple diet consists of it.

I figured I would wow them with the appetizer and then would try to amaze them with the entrée. It’s shallow I know, but I really wanted to do something special.

Whenever I have new guests for dinner I always ask two questions: 1) Do you have any food allergies? 2) Is there anything you really don’t like? It’s always good to not feed your guests food that could make them sick or they really hate.

After confirming there were neither strong dislikes, nor allergies. I went for the spicy side of food.

This particular recipe is my homage to a combination of sushi and glazed salmon. There’s something fun about taking the best of foods, bringing them together and making something new and delicious.

Using just a few ingredients I created a simple recipe that my guests enjoyed and that was fun to make: Spicy Grilled Salmon. The glaze can be used on halibut or chicken as well.

Baste salmon with glaze. Place on grill basted side down. Grill on medium heat or in oven on 475 degrees for 4-5 minutes. Turn when it no longer sticks to grill. Baste both sides. Cook until firm and fish is pink inside. Baste again prior to serving.